Historically, communication and data networks have been configured by systems, such as network management systems or element management systems, located within one administrative domain or using common control protocols implemented across multiple domains. The systems may employ a variety of identification schemes used to identify resources, such as nodes, ports, and flows, within the domains for the purpose of local management control. Typically, the systems may implement identification schemes that differ from one domain to the next. Alternatively, in some networks, the identification schemes may be standardized across multiple domains using control protocols or determined from context. As a result, each domain is configured to support common identification schemes.
With the advent of cross-domain service provisioning and service orchestration systems that provide centralized control, modern networks may need to identify resources in domains that implement distinct identification schemes. For example, a service orchestration system may coordinate service requests to multiple providers that include a cloud service provider, a telecommunications service provider, and an enterprise network manager to establish a desired service instance, such as an enterprise cloud computing service. The service requests may identify service points within the domains that are controlled by the different service providers or administrative entities. Each service provider may implement a unique scheme for identifying relevant service points in and/or at the boundary of their domains. For instance, a cloud service provider may use Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to identify external ports to the Internet or other service networks such as Carrier Ethernet Networks. A telecommunications service provider may use phone numbers or Common Language Location Identifier (CLLI) codes combined with equipment specific schemes to identify service endpoints in their network. Unfortunately, selecting a common identification scheme for all the domains to support and upgrading all the domains to support the selected identification scheme is often too costly and economically unfeasible.